Private equity has been buying up vet practices. Ugh.
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Youāre probably talking about VCA (Veterinary Centers of America). They are a goddamned cancer that has wrecked two veterinary practices we went to. They chase away competent doctors with poor pay, ditto support staff. They are owned by Mars Corp (yes, the same people that make M&Mās). They also own Iams and Royal Canin pet foods and Banfield animal hospitals. Theyāre the single largest vet services company in the country and pretty much a monopoly, but donāt plan on anything getting done about that any time soon.
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Thank you for the information and the name. Yup, theyāre in our state. 
VCA is one of the 3 companies that own the most vet practices in Canada now, too.
Canadian HOs can find out who owns their vet clinic here.
My vet sold his clinic to NVA the summer his wife passed from brain cancer, 4 years ago. She was also a vet, and only in her mid 40s. They owned the practice together. He still works there. I am glad he sold to NVA and not VCA.
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The practice I want to was bought by VetCor.
Iāve been watching reels of rollercoaster rides. The combination of thrill-by-proxy and the joyous & terrified screams is surprisingly soothing. Also, the videos are about as close as I am likely to get to any of these 
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This is just not a good time.
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I just saw that. Seems like 2025 can get worse yet.
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Both kids still in college got 4.0s this semester. One is in registered dietician classes, entering an MS program next semester, and the other is in electrical engineering and working toward a joint BS/MS concentration.
Whoop Whoop Whoop.
For those who donāt know the backstory, Kid4, my son, hit college as covid was in full force, and did shit and actually stopped going to class at all half-way through his first semester. We didnāt know this b/c he kept sending us āAll Is Wellā texts. He was already in upper level classes his first semester due to 60+ hours of AP credit. Maybe this is not always a good thing.
He was actually failing in half of his classes, because heād stopped going. So his oldest sister designed the next semester for him, lighting a fire under his ass and explaining that if he didnāt get a full 4.0 on all 19 hours, he was losing $120K in scholly monies.
He got the 4.0, and since then has been doing well; one B in the last few semesters (which he blamed on (improbably) his phone switching his timezone to Missouri so he showed up to a 2-hour test an hour late).
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Kind of a āGood Newsā ā āBad Newsā update on my Sunshine.
We had a really good visit with the Vocal Chord Doctor, yesterday. Everything is healed up, she has her voice back ā she canāt scream or holler like at a football game, but that is fine. She still has her whistle and old IKEA pot to beat on if she needs me and Iām in the garage or back yard.
As for the bad news ā Sunshine went to a girlfriendās house for dinner on Sunday night. Itās only about 1.5 miles from home and she has been there 50+ times. (Simple to get to and simple to get home.) Sadly, she got lost coming home. Eventually she found her way home, but almost called me to come find her and have her follow me home. I donāt know if its time to take the car away or not. I know Iām not letting her drive at night anymore, as she said it was very dark and that is how she missed a turn coming home.
I am scared that the day is coming (sooner rather than later), when sheāll get up ā look around and not know where she is or who I am. We did make an appointment with her PCP to discuss the matter with him and possibly have her memory re-tested. I have no idea if there are any medications out there that could help or not.
Iām just not ready to lose my Sunshineā¦
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Iām so sorry for you and Sunshine. Has she shown signs of memory loss before, or is this a new development?
Not newā¦ she has been forgetting things over the past couple of years. There was a the small kitchen that fire happened (a few years back) she left the stove on ā forgot to turn it off. So I took over all of the cooking duties.
There have been other instances ā including the minor car accident a few months ago. She got confused as to where she was, even though she had been to that facility many times before.
After the accident, I only let her drive locally in our small town, but now I donāt knowā¦
Iām so sorry. Thatās really tough. My mom started deteriorating during covid, so my sis and I werenāt aware of how bad things had gotten in the meantime.
I hope you two have a long time together, and I know she couldnāt be in better hands than with you as her caring partner 
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Thank you for the kind wordsā¦
Iām hopeful that her Primary Care Physician will have some answers/suggestions.
Two more doctor visits this week, then weāll probably have to make an appointment for a hand specialist (after getting a referral). She is still having issues with her thumb/hand from that tumble into the pantry (6 weeks ago).
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Fingers crossed for a positive outcome on all fronts, Dan!
Thank You.
I just keep telling myself ā just get from one day to the next.
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Thatās a good approach to life & the stuff it throws our way.
Hugs from afar.
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Iām only 67, and Iām finding it harder and harder to drive in the dark - the new LED headlights nearly blind me, but are tempered a good bit with yellow lens anti-glare night vision glasses I can fit over my regular eyeglasses.
My Mom made a decision to NOT drive at night in her 70s, I believe, and would only drive during the day. Several years later, she decided not to drive on the highways - just local roads to places she was familiar with already, and then she gave it up entirely - she knew her limits.
So maybe scaling back the nighttime driving is a good start to help with her sometimes confusion. I know itās a very tough decision, but itās best for all and hopefully she understands.
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prayers for this difficult journey. Iāve seen this with others and it is not a fun time. Peace be with you!
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I think on Saturday, Iāll let her drive (during the day) to a couple local destinations and see how she does. Iāll be in the passenger seat if something goes wrong. If she feels confident, she can do local daytime trips (alone).
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